


Herbal Medicine

by GhostLove



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: F/F, First Crush, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 23:10:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19029853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostLove/pseuds/GhostLove
Summary: Sucy has been looking forward to returning to Lotte's hometown since her first visit. However, upon arriving she discovers her friend alone at home and sick with fever. How will she handle the situation? And are the feelings held between the girls truly only that of friendship?





	Herbal Medicine

Familiar scents floated in the air as Sucy made her way excitedly to her friend’s Finnish home. She vaguely remembered the sights of the surrounding area from her first visit to the shop owned by Lotte’s family - but the true guiding light to the little building for her now was the smell of Hapansilakka pie. She inhaled deeply and let her mouth crack up into a smile, as her shoulders slumped in a relaxed manner. Sucy had truly been looking forward to this trip for the whole year – even with the major crisis that had occurred last time. She had begged Lotte to come back for an extended visit as soon as the season returned, and finally here it was.

  
Seldom feeling the weight of her luggage as she gleefully made her way to the shop, Sucy soon halted when she noticed the brightly colored paper stuck at about eye-level to the family’s door. Next, she noticed the hanging “closed” sign and the darkness showing through the corners of the shop door from the inside. Confusion washed over her as she leaned forward and began to read the note, her heart soon sinking in disappointment.

  
“Dear Sucy,

  
Lotte is sick with bit of a fever she developed this morning. Her father and I were called away suddenly to help with an issue our neighbors are having. As the resident witch, I had no choice but to go - and unfortunately the ordeal is so grave that I will need Mr. Jansson with me. As such, I hope you will accept my deepest apologies. Lotte gets sick often around this time of year, but her temperature isn’t very high. She should be fine until we return home tonight. If you could take care of her in our stead, I would be so grateful. Please occasionally check up on Lotte, take her temperature, and make sure she eats. There are fresh Hapansilakka pies on the table, and the sauna is ready for you at any time.

  
I am so sorry that this had to happen while you came all this way to visit us. I promise we can still have fun while you’re here. Just for today, could you do this for us? Much love.

  
Mom and Dad”

  
Sucy frowned deeply, yet noted the “mom and dad” part of the note somewhat gleefully. She wasn’t used to being taken in so warmly into other people’s families like that. However, her disappointed for both for herself and for her friend - having honestly looked forward to the visit for so very long - remained. Although she didn’t seem it at the academy, she had always wanted a little more alone time between just her and Lotte – and this trip was meant to be the pinnacle of that concept. Sucy sighed a little as she took down the note and slipped in the front door. Locking it behind her, she looked around the darkened store and called out clearly:

  
“Lotte?”

  
A barely audible groan rose up in response. Sucy followed the sound to her friend’s room, knocking at her door before entering. The room was bright and smelled like Lotte, despite what looked like efforts to darken it with the presence of the sick blonde. Making her way to her friend while noting the layout and decorations within the room, Sucy repeated Lotte’s name in concern – causing the girl to slowly roll over in her bed onto her back, her blue eyes opening and staring upwards in an unfocused way. Sucy couldn’t tell if it was due to her not having her glasses on, or due to her illness, but she wagered that both had a part to play as she heard Lotte clear her throat finally.

  
“Hey, Sucy.” Lotte greeted huskily, sniffling a little in the warm room. Sucy frowned – though quite enjoyed the change in her friend’s voice - and moved closer, bending over Lotte to examine her more carefully.  
“You look awful.” She stated bluntly, earning a weak chuckle from Lotte – who seemed almost like she hadn’t really heard her.

  
“This happens every year. I should be used to it by now.” Lotte stated simply, almost as if she was trying to convince herself of the statement rather than Sucy. She then rolled onto her side and curled up with an air of fatigue, her natural scent meeting Sucy’s nose as the covers were shifted.

  
“Sorry.” Lotte then added quietly, so quietly Sucy couldn’t process it at first. The strange girl asked her to repeat herself before the words clicked in her brain, and something nagged at the corners of her consciousness right before Lotte spoke up again.

  
“Mama left you some pies, and the sauna is ready.” She reminded her – sparking excitement within Sucy once again so that her train of thought temporarily derailed. This, of course, had been a trip she had been looking forward to all year for multiple reasons – Lotte being the main one. However, Sucy could not deny how she relished the almost exotic Finnish experiences she had tasted last time, before and even with the Green Man’s disease almost decimating everyone. Boy, those were some exciting times.

  
“Ah, right, I’ll go have some then.” She said, excitement tinging the edges of her usually monotone voice - though she felt conflicted about leaving the blonde alone. Lotte, however, seemed to be doing relatively ok and looked to be craving sleep – something she could more than catch up on while Sucy filled – what she now realized was – her painfully empty stomach. She began exiting the room before slowing up just outside the door, looking back at Lotte, who seemed to be breathing peacefully and nodding off quickly. Sucy had noticed in the dorms that there was something inconceivably cute about Lotte when she slept, her long lashes casting shadows on her cheeks. Biting her lip, Sucy thought better of just rushing off, and made sure to at least keep one foot in the doorway.

  
“Do you need anything before I leave?” Sucy questioned, Lotte rolling onto her back once again and answering back slowly – clearly on the edge of unconsciousness.

  
“I’m ok.”

  
Remaining where she was, Sucy suddenly heard – and very much felt – her stomach growl angrily. She touched her abdomen lightly and discovered suddenly that she was going to have to assuage her hunger, whether she liked it or not.

  
“I’ll be back to check on you soon.” She promised the blonde, not getting any response in return. Concerned, Sucy listened intently to see if maybe Lotte was just taking a moment to respond, though she was sure she knew what had actually occurred. Predictably – she heard the girl softly breathing in her sleep, and felt her heart settle back into a semi-regular rhythm.

  
Sucy reluctantly let her desires carry her to the kitchen, her stomach growling as she realized she had mostly skipped eating in preparation for the pies. She had craved them so badly over the past year that she had no appetite for breakfast or lunch earlier that day, and so she now found herself unable to ignore the gnawing in her stomach any longer.

  
Sitting at the table, Sucy convinced herself that she was only going to eat a few of the morsels before popping back in to check on the blonde’s condition. However, she found herself clearing the plate in far-from-record time, her stomach slightly distended as she let out a satisfied sigh. Her mind had all but blanked when she began eating – her hunger leaving her solely focused on the pies and their strange flavor. However, she soon remembered in her engorged haze that she hadn’t checked up on Lotte in a while, and so she rushed back to Lotte’s room with a weight sitting like a rock in her stomach. She was too flustered to tell if it was guilt, or just the inordinate amount of pies she had finished eating.

  
Poking her head into the room once more, Sucy saw that Lotte remained asleep, and wondered if she should leave her be for now. She had no idea how long Lotte had already slept that day, but suddenly as she pondered, she recalled that Mrs. Jansson has asked her to make sure that Lotte ate. Touching her abdomen again, Sucy realized that indeed her stomach was heavy with both guilt and pies – one very much causing the presence of the other. Letting out a groan, Sucy went back to the kitchen and rummaged for something else to give Lotte. She thankfully found some soup prepared in the fridge with a note attached, instructing her to try giving it to her ill friend. Warming it up on the stove, Sucy realized with the new scent of the soup rising just how at-home she felt in the little living space, Lotte’s nearby presence both reassuring her and making her heart flutter with something akin to worry and bliss.

  
Serving the soup in a bowl and adding a glass of water to the meal, Sucy carefully took each back to Lotte’s room. Struggling with the door for but a second, she slipped into the bright and nicely scented personalized space, and placed down the cup of water carefully by Lotte’s bedside.

  
The blonde stirred despite Sucy’s best efforts to not disturb her and looked to the strange girl quizzically, her eyes seeming more distant somehow as she asked quietly.

  
“Did you eat already?”

  
Sucy blinked, surprised that Lotte was the one asking that question as she gave the soup in her lap a stir.

  
“I should be asking you that.” She finally replied pointedly, Lotte letting out a whine in response.

  
“Do I have to?” She asked weakly, Sucy frowning deeply at the response before carefully placing the soup aside. Standing suddenly, the strange girl bent forward over Lotte, making her flinch a bit as Sucy pressed their foreheads together, staring into her eyes.

  
“Your eyes aren’t clearing up and your head is hot. So yes, you have to eat.” Sucy answered sternly. Lotte flushed even more than she had been, her heart beating quickly as she was reminded of the romance scenes in her favorite books. She focused on calming her breath and swallowed, licking her dry lips before she could even think about replying.

  
“Ah, that reminds me.” Sucy suddenly hummed, cutting Lotte off and causing her to look to Sucy in confusion as the other girl picked up the household thermometer off the nightstand.  
“Your mother told me to take your temperature.” She stated simply, though a grin soon split her lips.

  
“Roll over.” She urged in a sinister way, making Lotte cry out in a flurry.

  
“That’s an oral thermometer! Don’t be so crass! My temperature is fine, I just checked it!” She huffed, earning a slight laugh from Sucy that made her smile a bit as well. Despite her reactions to most of Sucy’s jokes, she didn’t mind the humor – and loved to see Sucy enjoying herself.

  
“Ok. I’ll eat” She finally conceded, watching Sucy settle back in her seat once more before putting back the thermometer. She wasn’t quite sure why she found the way Sucy had checked her sclera so romantic (it was so common even her mother did it), but blamed her fever dismissively. These feelings were, however, not new of course; in fact – Lotte had been wondering about her true feelings for Sucy for over a year now. While she loved her as a friend and got annoyed with her strange habits at times – she couldn’t get over just how quickly her heart sped at times when Sucy drew near her.

  
Unfortunately, for a time Lotte had chalked the elevated heartrate up to some sort of subconscious primordial terror towards her strange friend– but she eventually realized her true affections.

  
Sucy helped the blonde sit up and teasingly began offering a spoonful of soup to Lotte, as if to feed her.

  
“Geeze, I can feed myself.” Lotte complained, however in reaching for the spoon she managed to miss grabbing the utensil almost completely - her nearsightedness and astigmatism going uncorrected. Sucy chuckled a bit, making Lotte clear her throat and push down her embarrassment as she slipped her glasses back on – her magnified blue eyes opening to focus back on the dish of Lohikeitto soup. Her stomach growled audibly at the sight and smell of the dish and Sucy smiled, causing Lotte to avoid her gaze in being caught obviously hungry.

  
“I really don’t mind.” Sucy suddenly urged lightly, reminding Lotte of her spoon-feeding offer and taking on a more serious tone. This garnered a few more complaints from Lotte before the blonde conceded in defeat. Guiding the spoon carefully over with her hand underneath, Sucy watched as Lotte’s lips parted and she accepted the morsel. Sucy felt her heartbeat quicken before her mind suddenly focused on the smell of the soup like a bloodhound on a scent trail, her brain seemingly finally clicking into place that she was holding an exotic new dish in her lap. Looking down at the contents, Sucy, without thinking, scooped up another spoonful and shoveled it straight into her mouth – earning a cry from Lotte.

  
“Did you really have to take a bite right after the spoon was in my mouth?!” she scolded incredulously, receiving a confused look from Sucy.

  
“We’re friends, aren’t we? I didn’t think you were worried about germs.” She replied simply, making Lotte feel a twinge of a headache at the dismissal.

  
“That’s an indirect kiss you know!” She blurted without thinking, her mind back in her books clearly. Sucy stared at her in passive bewilderment.

  
“What are you? Like… ten?” She asked flatly, making Lotte blush deeply and reach to take the soup back from her.

  
“I just…” Lotte trailed off, sighing and realizing that Sucy had always been like that – almost oblivious to common conventions of the world. Even disregarding her “indirect kiss” statement – who just shoved a bite of someone else’s food into their mouth without asking like that? Lotte continued holding out her hands firmly, causing Sucy to surrender the bowl amicably before the blonde corrected herself.

  
“Well, I guess I don’t mind… in fact - actually, I hope you liked the soup. It doesn’t taste the same as the pies surely, but I’m sure it has the same novelty to you.”

  
Sucy swallowed, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt at having made the girl self-conscious.

  
“It was delicious.” She promised, earning a weak yet bright smile from Lotte as the blonde picked up the spoon, stared at it, and began feeding herself. Sucy felt a little bit of a laugh rise up in her throat at the hypocrisy of Lotte eating off the shared spoon so soon after her outburst, but didn’t carry the thought far past that point before the blonde spoke again.

  
“You don’t have to baby me you know, let alone sit there while I eat. You wanted to try using the sauna again, didn’t you?”

  
Sucy sat upright as she remembered the sauna, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically sheepish as she replied.

  
“No, I don’t mind…”

  
Lotte cut her off.

  
“I’m fine really! You can come check up on me again in a little while. Please?”

  
The pleading was what sealed the deal for Sucy. She still couldn’t deny how badly she had wanted to come back and experience everything again, and now it looked as if Lotte was doing much better even with only a few bites of food in her.

  
“Alright.” She finally conceded, earning her another heart-stopping smile. Despite herself, she reluctantly left the room as she watched Lotte continue to eat, her mind slowly switching over to the new task at hand.

  
It had taken a little time, but Sucy had managed to set up the Sauna correctly. Sitting alone in a towel (out of self-consciousness more than anything), Sucy took in a deep, satisfied breath - and let it out. She had missed the suffocating hot steam, and soon felt it warming her chronically freezing skin from head to toe. Crossing her legs, she let her mind wander, and soon found herself exploring arrayed thoughts while she looked around the inside of the small structure distractedly.

  
The first thing she thought about was just how quiet it was in the sauna, alone. The second thing she thought about was how restless she was feeling. Sucy then realized that she wished Lotte was there with her, even if they sat in silence it would have been better than her staring at the four walls. God, she realized, being here like this was boring… and lonely.

  
Sucy was a bit startled at herself for what she was feeling. Firstly, she was more than used to being alone, and she rather enjoyed it in fact. More importantly though, she thought that this trip has been about her friend and the experiences she wanted to have – both being equally as important and mutually exclusive. Now though she couldn’t even enjoy all that Finland had to offer without her friend right there with her. Her… Friend?

  
As Sucy thought on it more, she realized that such a title didn’t nearly do her true feelings justice. While, of course, Lotte was a best friend to her - her feelings, she knew, were not typical in a strictly platonic relationship. Her mind began bringing back adorable quirks about the Lotte, her personality, how much Sucy loved their time spent together, and how lonely she became without her… and then suddenly worrying red flags Lotte had been displaying since Sucy arrived began popping up.

  
Why was she trying to get rid of Sucy so badly? She was clearly starving and suffering from her fever – yet she hadn’t asked for a single thing, or requested Sucy’s company as a distraction. Of course, Sucy knew many people that didn’t like to be babied when sick, and that Lotte needed her rest, but Lotte never stuck her as the type to really enjoy solitude when she had friends nearby. In fact, Sucy was sure she lapped up every moment of company people gave her, especially attention provided by her parents, with how awful her past had been.

  
Sucy sighed and stopped herself, wondering if maybe she was just projecting. After all, she was concerned for Lotte, even if she wasn’t good at expressing it – and her love for poisons also meant a working knowledge of medicine. She often was taught to treat the ill and she took some pleasure in watching the remedies work their way through the patient’s body. Their… body.

  
Sucy flushed as she remembered when she and Lotte had first shared the sauna, their bodies exposed more than they had ever been in the heat. She remembered Lotte’s soft skin glistening in the steam, and her thin shoulders rolled back in a relaxed way as the three of them talked. Right then she determined that, she in fact, was not simply interested in Lotte as a friend. As well - it was not simply due to her nature that she was fretting like this about Lotte – there was just… something about the way she felt about Lotte, something special about Lotte that made her want to coddle the sick girl desperately. And that something special was that Lotte was an amazing person, and Sucy was very gay for her.

  
The strange girl felt her stomach twist, and got up – pushing aside both her wandering fantasies and her vacation checklist for the time being. Stepping out of the sauna, she was sure that she wanted – no, needed to talk to Lotte. The mixed concern and butterflies tumbling about in her stomach propelled her forward – making her feel a bit queasy. After all, she wanted to have full disclosure between her and her best friend, and didn’t think she could stand being dishonest towards herself of Lotte this time around – even though she was very used to disguising her feelings from day to day. Despite herself she also somewhat suspected that half of the sensations she was dealing with were due to her going to sit in a Sauna so soon after consuming massive quantities of Hapansilakka pies. Nevertheless, she pressed on, a girl on a mission to basically coax a confession out of her crush – and herself.

******

  
Lotte woke with a moan and looked up at the ceiling. She felt her breath come in quick bursts as she reached up to feel her head. She wasn’t sure she had ever had a fever hit her this hard, though she also knew her parents bent over backwards to make sure she was comfortable at times like these. Her whole body ached and made her want to cry as she lay in her desolate room. She didn’t want to be alone – it hurt, her mind told her blatantly.

  
Letting out a little whimper, she was at least happy that her stomach was full – thanks to Sucy of course, though she couldn’t believe just how badly her head was swimming. She wanted to call out for Sucy, but stopped herself. She needed to not burden Sucy like this. Sucy was there to unwind and enjoy herself… and Lotte was being selfish demanding her to take care of her fever like that. She felt tears well up, but fought them back before she noticed that she was nodding off again with the absence of any mental stimulation. She hadn’t even registered when she had fallen back asleep until she woke with a start, as something cold and wet touched her forehead.

  
Her eyes flashed open and it took her a few moments to make out the blurry shape of Sucy. Realizing that the girl had returned and placed a cold compress on her head, confusion washed over Lotte. She knew that Sucy had wanted desperately to come back for a visit – having gone on and on about how much she had enjoyed herself (despite the near-death experience) last year. She also knew how typically solitary and aloof the other girl was with even her friends. Yet here she was, remaining beside her foolhardy friend, who had, of course, gotten herself sick on the very day she was to visit. Feeling frustrated at herself for clearly roping her friend into taking care of her, Lotte cleared her throat and stated casually, but weakly:

  
“I thought you were out in the Sauna.”

  
Sucy sat quiet for a moment, swallowing hard and clearing her throat audibly once she had made up her mind.

  
“Yeah.” She softly confirmed, rubbing the back of her neck and sitting again in silence nervously – until the bleary-eyed blonde couldn’t help but ask:

  
“What is it?”

  
Sucy took another breath and decided to simply try lay it all out.

  
“I was…” She began saying, her hand sliding slowly towards Lotte’s as it rested above the covers at her side. She felt her heart quicken as she inched closer to taking the soft, pale, and warm hand of her friend.

  
“I was.” She continued, her fingers tingling with anticipation as she knew Lotte could hardly see her. She hoped with every fibre of her being that she wasn’t about to do anything stupid, before going in for the kill.

  
“But then I realized it was boring without you. I was so lonely. I wanted you with me.” She finally answered, taking Lotte’s hand in her own and causing the blonde’s heart to stop momentarily.  
What had Sucy just said?

  
Lotte felt like her head was reeling at the other’s words, a weak chuckle escaping her lips.

  
“You’re joking right? You’re playing a trick on me?”

  
Sucy felt her heart break a little at both the other’s low self-worth and her own tendency to lie resulting in such distrust. Lotte suddenly felt more flustered than ever, puffing up her cheeks and turning up her nose slightly as she replied:

  
“Geeze, even in my state you just can’t help but pick on me, huh?”

  
Silence. Then a reluctant pulling away of Sucy’s hand from hers.

  
Wait, what?

  
Lotte was reeling again, her eyes automatically tearing up as she sputtered out suddenly:

  
“I-It’s not funny Sucy…”

  
Her heart was beating a million miles a minute and tears stung her eyes as she thought back to all the nights where she had placed down her romance novels only to gaze at the lovely girl across from her, Sucy working at her desk in the pale moonlight with enthusiastic determination spelled across her face. She remembered all the admiration and affection she had begun garnering for the girl, her feelings of enamor blooming like a flower in her chest. Yet she kept such feelings to herself as she discovered time and time again that she could only ever react with flustered skepticism every time Sucy had shown any signs of affection or desire towards her.

  
“It’s not funny…” she repeated again, her voice fluctuating as her throat knotted, her teariness suddenly turning into full blown sobbing. So many thoughts and doubts swam through her head, as she wanted so much to love her friend the way she had always hoped, yet she couldn’t accept such a thing would really happen. An elegantly beautiful and auspiciously mischievous girl like Sucy would never mean such words, she convinced herself, and so began to blurt:

  
“I mean…! A beautiful girl like you would never go for someone like –″

  
She was interrupted when Sucy grabbed her hand again and brought it to her lips, her normally pallid face tinting pink as she kissed her friend’s knuckles fervently. Lotte’s eyes widened and she felt her heart well up with bliss, her mind flashing back to the grand romantic gestures in her books just as Sucy pulled away – her eyes not meeting Lotte’s in worried regret.

  
“I… I’m sorry I shouldn’t have…” Sucy stopped herself and clenched her fists suddenly, steeling herself as she asserted firmly:

  
“No. I like you. I wanted you to know that, and not have any doubts. I. Like. You. I’m sorry if I startled-”

  
Lotte gave in to full-on wailing, making Sucy all but have a heart attack.

  
“W-What’s wrong?” the slender girl demanded, her heart pounding in her chest as she worried that her actions had seriously violated her friend.

  
“Y-You came all this way and I got sick…!” Lotte wailed, making Sucy deflate with relief and frustration all at once – her hands immediately clasping Lotte’s firmly and authoritatively as she spoke.  
“It doesn’t matter, I wanted to come and see you the most! Even like this is fine, because you make coming here fun.”

  
Lotte sniffled and tried to calm her crying, but realized that the sweetness of the other’s words was just making her sob more - to Sucy’s dismay. Sucy awkwardly moved to wrap her arms around Lotte, just waiting out her crying in as supportive a way as she could until she heard the blonde stop crying and perk up between soft hiccups:

  
“I like you too. You’re being so nice I can’t hold it in.”

  
Sucy felt her cheeks burn with happiness and relief as she continued physically coddling her friend, the girl giving a soft giggle as Sucy’s hand stoked up and down her back comfortingly.

  
“Come here,” Lotte suddenly chided, scooting over on her mattress and patting the place beside her. Sucy flushed a little, her mouth moving faster than her brain as she joked:

  
“Don’t you think that’s a little fast-″

  
She received a light smack to her shoulder. Nevertheless, Lotte was smiling when Sucy joined her under the covers – their bodies turned inwards towards each other on their sides as they began to talk in placid tones.

  
Sucy’s nose pressed to Lotte’s briefly as she whispered reassurances that they could do all the things she had been looking forward to once Lotte was better. Lotte smiled in relief and began planning out the few weeks they had together, with Sucy – her fingers intertwining with the strange girl’s own as she spoke enthusiastically, yet tranquilly.

  
The girls ended up lost in their discussion until the shop’s bell clanged noisily and Lotte’s parents began announcing their arrival back home, calling to the girls cheerfully. Blushing, both girls separated quickly, not quite ready to deal with Lotte’s parents discovering their feelings for each other quite yet – but confident the two adults wouldn’t mind once a proper discussion was in order.

  
“I’ll go meet your parents halfway, you should rest up a bit more.” Sucy muttered as she moved to make her way to the door, only for Lotte to grasp her hand firmly and grab her attention quite literally.

  
“I- um…” She started bashfully, Sucy turning her body towards the girl so she knew she had her full attention. The blonde continued with a deep breath:

  
“Can… can we start dating then? And do couple-y stuff from now on? We don’t have to call each other girlfriends or whatever right away but…” Lotte prattled on bashfully, her eyes cast downward before Sucy broke into a light fit of laughter, making Lotte’s heart skip a beat in alarm. Sucy smiled at her and brought her face close, clasping Lotte’s hand firmly in both of her own as their foreheads bumped playfully. Her voice was steady yet affectionate as she replied, making Lotte’s eyes light up in a smile as their hair tickled one another’s cheeks and their hearts practically melted together all at once:

  
“Of course, whenever you’re ready.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfiction I've done in a long time, and I am not entirely sure how it panned out. Fics dealing with sickness and taking care of someone while sick have always appealed to me on some level - so I figured I would pair up a couple of characters, who otherwise were a little bit neglected by the LWA series, and do up a fic I have always wanted to try my hand at! 
> 
> I truly think Sucy and Lotte could have had so many more aspects of themselves developed within the span of the series (especially with Sucy's Dream episode) - so this is my response to that in a way!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, and I hope the fic isn't too "out-of-left-field" or too corny!


End file.
